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1956 United States Senate election in Illinois

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1956 United States Senate election in Illinois
← 1950
November 6, 1956
1962 →
Turnout81.74%
 
Nominee Everett M. Dirksen Richard Stengel
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,307,552 1,949,883
Percentage 54.11% 45.72%
County results
Dirksen:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Stengel:      50–60%
Senator before election

Everett M. Dirksen
Republican

 Elected Senator

Everett M. Dirksen
Republican

The 1956 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 6, 1956[1] to elect one of Illinois's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen won reelection to a second term.

Background

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The primaries and general election coincided with those for federal offices (President and House) and state elections.

Primaries were held on April 10.[1]

Turnout in the primary elections was 26.26%, with a total of 1,307,357 votes cast.[1][2]

Turnout during the general election was 81.74%, with 4,264,830 votes cast.[1][3]

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Everett Dirksen (incumbent) 686,268 100
Write-in 34 0.01
Total votes 686,302 100

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Declined

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Results

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The Democratic Party nominated Richard Stengel, who ran unopposed in the primary.[5]

Democratic primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Stengel 621,005 99.99
Write-in 50 0.01
Total votes 621,055 100

General election

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Candidates

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Results

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Dirksen carried 88 of the state's 102 counties.[1] Among the 88 counties that Dirksen won was the state's most populous county, Cook County, in which Dirksen won with 51.13% to Stengel's 48.63%.[1] Despite losing in Cook County, Stengel performed better in the county than he did in the cumulative vote of the remaining 101 counties[1] In the cumulative vote of the state's other 101 counties, Dirksen won 57.32% to Stengel's 42.58%.[1] 51.97% of the votes cast in the election were from Cook County.[1]

While he lost the overall vote in Cook County as a whole, in Cook County's principal city, Chicago (where 37.79% of all votes cast in the election were from), Stengel won 54.33% of the vote to Dirksen's 45.37%[1]

General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Everett McKinley Dirksen (incumbent) 2,307,552 54.11
Democratic Richard Stengel 1,949,883 45.72
Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 7,587 0.18
Write-in 8 0.00
Total votes 4,264,830 100

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1956 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1955, 1956 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 10 1958" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 16, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  3. ↑ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Slatemakers Hear 7 in Race for Governor". Chicago Tribune. January 7, 1956. p. 1.
  5. 1 2 3 Tagge, George (November 22, 1955). "Hear Schaefer, Stengel to Top Daley's Slate". Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
  6. ↑ Kanady, Johnson (October 25, 1955). "Downstaters Talk Up "Stop Lucas' Plans". Chicago Tribune. p. A10.
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